Ebook new cambridge advanced english part 2

Role models Listening and Vocabulary You'll hear three people talking about people they admire Note down the names of the people and the MAIN reason they admire them Afterwards, compare your notes with a partner Fill each gap in these paragraphs with a suitable word or phrase from the list below In many cases there's more than one way to fill the gap Marie Sklodowska Curie was two Nobel Prizes: she the 1903 physics prize with her husband Pierre and won the 1911 chemistry prize in her own Her most achievement was her work on radioactivity www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Andy Grove, who was born in Hungary, is the chief executive of Intel Corporation He's one of the world's lesser-known , even though his company is twice as big and twice as as Microsoft He tends to avoid and keeps a fairly low , though within the business community he is universally The Sultan of Brunei is the world's richest man He Brunei, a tropical country the size of Belgium, on the coast of Borneo His 300,000 enjoy one of the world's highest of living, thanks to Brunei's oil and gas (enough for another 25 and 40 years, ) The Sultan built the world's largest at a cost of $450 million He's a , self-conscious man who avoids public Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur, who Virgin Atlantic and Express airlines, Virgin Cinemas, Virgin Megastores and other businesses under the Virgin name He believes in a on approach to managing his businesses He in his own TV commercials and is often in the admired appearances appears awarded billionaires brand charismatic executive hands-on headlines outstanding palace profile profitable publicity reserves respected respectfully respectively right rules runs shared shy standards subjects Ask your partners: • which living woman and which living man they most admire • which figure from the past (or historical figure) they most admire Ask them to explain WHY the people are famous and WHY they admire them Of all the people mentioned by your partners, which ONE you admire most of all, and why? New Cambridge Advanced English Emphasising the rfght syllable Pronunciation On which syllable is the main stress placed in each of these words? syllable /'silabl/ pronounce /pra'nauns/ qualified /'kwDlifaid/ pronunciation /pranAnsi'eiJan/ qualification Akwolifi'keijan/ Take it in turns to say each of these words aloud and mark the main stress in each one academy art academic lecture artistic biology biological maths botany botanical physics chemist chemistry consult consultation economics lecturer literature chemical economical economy literary mathematics physical politics political second secondary secretary secretarial educate educational society sociology examine examination special specialise geography geographical grammar grammatical history statistics zoology mathematical specialisation speciality statistical zoological historical Take it in turns to read each of these sentences aloud, paying attention to the word stresses She's studying politics at university and hopes to become a politician www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com /Ji:z 'stAdijir) 'politiks at ,ju:ni'v3isiti and 'haups ta bi'kAm a 'polit'ijan/ Maths is an interesting subject but I don't want to be subjected to a long lecture about it, thank you very much! What a lovely present! I was present when they presented her with the award Wait a minute - I just need to make a minute adjustment to this machine When are you permitted to use the emergency exit? You need a special permit to use this entrance I've read the contents of the book and now I feel quite content After our dessert, we watched a film about some soldiers who deserted and escaped into the desert and joined a group of rebels When a metal object cools down it contracts 10 This contract is invalid because it hasn't been signed 11 The people rebelled because they objected to the government's policies 12 I don't normally mind being insulted - but I when such dreadful insults are used You'll hear 24 short clips Choose the phrase below that shows the IMPLICATION of each statement Write the number or numbers beside each phrase to 7: 'Terry had a stomach ache because the plums he ate were unripe.' not thirteen [ Charlie Chaplin Reading A Read the first paragraph of this magazine article Then write down FOUR questions that you would like to find the answers to in the rest of the article Remarkable Charlie ALEXANDER WALKER looks at his life and times HE WAS BORN in the slums of south London He wore his mother's old red tights cut down for ankle socks He was sent to a workhouse when she was temporarily sent to the madhouse Dickens might have created Charlie Chaplin's childhood But only Charlie Chaplin could have created the great comic character of "The Tramp", whose ragged dignity, subversive mischievousness, hard-grained resilience and soft-hearted sentimentality gave his creator the dimensions of an immortal Read the continuation of the article and find out if your questions are answered Other countries - France, Italy, Spain, even Japan and Korea show more surpassing love (and profit) where Chaplin is concerned than the land of his birth It's not just that Chaplin quit Britain for good in 1913 when he journeyed to America with the Fred Karno vaudeville troupe to perform his mime, juggling and comedy acts on the stage where Mack Sennett's talent scouts recruited him for the Hollywood slapstick king Sad to say, many English filmgoers between the wars thought Chaplin's Tramp a bit, well, "vulgar" Certainly the middle-class filmgoers did: the working-class audiences were warmer towards a character who defied authority, using his wicked little cane to trip it up, or aiming a well-placed kick on its broad backside with the flat of his down-at-heel boot All the same, Chaplin's comic persona didn't seem all that English or even working class English tramps didn't sport tiny moustaches, baggy pants or tail coats: European dictators, Italian waiters and American maitre ds wore things like that Then again, the Tramp's ever-roving eye for a pretty girl had a promiscuousness about it that was considered, well, not quite nice by English audiences - that's how foreigners behaved, wasn't it? And for over half of his screen career, Chaplin had no screen voice to confirm his British nationality Indeed, it was a headache for Chaplin when he could no longer resist the talkies and had to find "the right voice" for his Tramp He postponed that day as long as possible: in Modem Times in 1936, the first film in which he was heard as a singing waiter, he made up a nonsense language which sounded like no known nationality He later said he imagined the Tramp to be an Oxford-educated gent who'd come down in the world But if he'd been able to speak with an Oxford accent in those early slapstick shorts, it's doubtful if he'd have achieved world fame - and the English would have been sure to find it "odd" He was an immensely complex man, self-willed to a degree unusual even in the ranks of Hollywood egotists The suddenness of his huge fame gave him the freedom - and, more importantly, the money - to be his own master He already had the urge to explore and extend a talent he discovered in himself as he went along "It can't be me Is that possible? How extraordinary," is how he greeted the first sight of himself as the Tramp on the screen But that shock set his imagination racing Unlike Buster Keaton, Chaplin didn't work out his gags conceptually in advance He was the kind of comic who used his physical senses to invent his art as he went along Inanimate objects especially helped Chaplin make "contact" with himself as an artist He turned them into other kinds of objects Thus, a bust alarm clock in The Pawnbroker became a "sick" patient undergoing an appendectomy; boots were stewed in The Gold Rush and their soles eaten like prime plaice (the nails being removed like fish bones) This physical transformation, plus the adroitness with which he managed it again and again, are surely the secrets of Chaplin's great comedy It may be a legacy from working alongside jugglers and acrobats on the English music-hall stage in his youth and developing something of their sensory proficiency But Chaplin not only charged things with energy, he altered their personalities and, in so doing, extended his knowledge of his own He also had a deep need to be loved - and a corresponding fear of being betrayed The two were hard to reconcile and sometimes - as in his early marriages - the results were disastrous Yet even this painfully-bought selfknowledge found its way into his comic creations The Tramp never loses his faith in the flower girl who'll be waiting to walk into the sunset with him; while the other side of Chaplin, the man who's bought his cynicism dearly in the divorce courts, makes Monsieur Verdoux, the French wife killer, into a symbol of man's misogyny www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com New Cambridge Advanced English It's nice to know that life eventually gave Charlie Chaplin the stable happiness it had earlier denied him In Oona O'Neill Chaplin, he found a partner whose stability and affection effaced the 37 years age difference between them that had seemed so ominous when the Santa Barbara registrar, who was marrying them in 1942, turned to the luminous girl of 17 who'd given notice of their wedding date and said, "And where is the young man?" - Chaplin, then 54, had prudently waited outside As Oona herself was the child of a large family with its own turbulent centre, she was well-prepared for the battlefield that Chaplin's life became as unfounded charges of Communist sympathies engulfed them both - and, later on, she was the fulcrum of rest in the quarrels that Chaplin's act of stern fatherhood sometimes sparked off in their own large brood of talented children Chaplin died on Christmas Day 1977 A few months later, a couple of almost comic body-snatchers stole his coffin from the family vault and held it for ransom: the Swiss police recovered it with more efficiency than the Keystone Cops would have done But one can't help feeling Chaplin would have regarded this macabre incident as his way of having the last laugh on a world to which he had bequeathed so many **PPPM B Answer these multiple-choice questions about the article: Chaplin left Britain and went to the USA to A act in movies В perform on the stage С direct movies D escape from his mother British audiences thought Chaplin's Tramp was A heart-breaking С unmistakably English in origin, В very funny D apparently foreign The Tramp A never appeared in a talking picture В appeared in several talking pictures С appeared in one talking picture D appeared in talking pictures but didn't speak Chaplin's comic scenes were A carefully planned and scripted В planned but not scripted С improvised, D improved www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com When he married his last wife she was A 17 С 37 В D 54 42 After their wedding Chaplin's professional and family life was A tranquil С turbulent В uneventful D disappointing Highlight the following words and phrases in the passage Try to work out their meanings from the context Match them to the definitions below H1 H4 H6 U7 H8 11 subversive resilience headache postponed gags inanimate bust adroitness charged corresponding reconcile cynicism misogyny stable effaced ominous prudently turbulent macabre bequeathed unfounded charges ability to recover from setbacks allegations broken erased filled harmonise and resolve hatred of women horrifying lack of trust leave after one's death matching not living problem put off secure skill threatening undermining authority violent visual jokes wisely ТТТТО Discuss these questions about the article: • What were Chaplin's most admirable qualities - and what were his less admirable attributes? • What were his greatest achievements? • What brought him the greatest disappointment and greatest happiness? • Why was he (and is he still) so famous and well-loved? How can you account for his success? • What does the image of the Tramp signify for us today? T T Select information from the article for your own 250-word article on 'The life and times of Charlie Chaplin' - and decide which you would omit MAKE NOTES TT"*TT Compare your notes and justify your own decisions Style, tone and content Effective writing Look at this chart of people who died before their time Discuss: • what each person achieved during their life • if their personalities matched the supposed characteristics of their star signs (see pages 54-5) • what they might have achieved if they'd lived longer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Franz Schubert Vincent Van Gogh Rudolph Valentino John F Kennedy Marilyn Monroe born star sign died age 1756 1797 Aquarius 1791 35 Aquarius Aries 1828 1890 31 37 Taurus Gemini Gemini 1926 1963 1962 31 1853 1895 1917 www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Martin Luther King Jr James Dean Elvis Presley 1926 1929 1931 1935 Buddy Holly John Lennon 1936 1940 Princess Diana 1961 46 36 39 24 Sagittarius 1968 Aquarius Capricorn Virgo 1955 1977 1959 42 22 Libra 1980 40 Cancer 1997 36 As you probably know One thing I didn't realise Did you know that ? It's hard to believe that If he/she were still alive It's tragic/amazing to think that Look at the opening paragraphs opposite from magazine articles, based on the information given in Activity 37 Discuss what features of each paragraph you prefer and why Look at: • the STYLE of writing and the REGISTER • the writer's attitude as shown in the TONE of the article • the CONTENT or information that is given Highlight the phrases or pieces of information that you think are most effective in each paragraph New Cambridge Advanced English J ames Dean was born on February 1931 and died in a car crash on 30 September 1955 at the age of 24 For his generation he symbolised the torment and rebellion of the teenager Even today his moody good looks, vulnerable eyes and that unmistakable glance from beneath his J ames Dean was a young screen actor who was killed in a car crash at the age of 24 He made three films: East of Eden, Rebel Without A Cause and Giant, of which only the first had been released before his death Young people of his generation admired his good looks and identified with his charismatic screen performances The parts he played matched the image of the man: moody, rebellious and angry - yet vulnerable, arousing our protective instincts and perhaps making us want to defend him and comfort him www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com D1 Make notes for a similar opening paragraph for a magazine article (about 100 words) about Marilyn Monroe - decide what information from Activity 14 you will include !> Write a first draft, using the stylistic features that you thought were most effective in C ? Show your completed draft to your partners and ask for their comments and criticisms Rewrite your paragraph, incorporating any improvements that have been suggested Sharing opinions Speaking, Listening and Reading You'll hear some people giving their opinions Imagine that they're friends of yours How would you reply to each person, using the expressions below? That's true, because Right! Especially when Sure, because That's right! For example when I'm not sure that I agree, because I see what you mean, but There's a lot in what you say, but Why? What makes you say that? Do you really think so? With all due respect, I'd say that I see what you're getting at, but I think it all depends on Why you think that? Are you quite sure about that? I agree + reason I don't agree or I partly agree + reason Encouraging someone to justify their views Listen to the recording again and note down the phrase that each person used to INTRODUCE his or her opinion - none of them said simply: think that .' 97 _ You'll hear ten short conversations, in which the second speaker reacts to the first one's opinion Listen carefully to the tone of voice used Decide whether the second person agrees with the first one or not - if he or she agrees put a tick , if he or she disagrees put a cross < 10 Find out your partner's views on SOME of these topics - make sure he or she justifies their views and then give your own opinion (and justify i t ) • Is it better to save money for a rainy day or spend it all? • Should millionaires keep their money or donate it to charity? • Should family sizes be restricted, or should everyone have as many children as they want? • Should murderers and terrorists be put in prison for life or executed? • Should cars be banned from driving in city centres or should there be no restrictions? • Should shops be open 24-hours a day days a week? • Should every home have a computer? • Are people less polite and considerate than they used to be? • Were the good old days better than the present day? • What is the best way to prevent crime? • Is money the root of all evil, or is it a blessing? • • Q1 Find out your partner's views on lotteries and gambling Decide where paragraphs A to F opposite fit in the gaps in this article shown with red arrows There's one extra paragraph which doesn't fit anywhere Record-breaking lottery winner faces www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com onslaught from estranged wife and family T HE unveiling of the National Lottery's biggest ever winners descended to farce yesterday amid personal acrimony and widespread uneasiness over the size of the £22.5 million jackpot Kim Gardiner, who married the lottery's latest multi-millionaire in November 1991, said: "I'm after half his cash." Flanked by National Lottery public relations staff, Mr Gardiner, aged 33, said he was "very sad" at the remarks made by his adoptive mother He added: "If you went to Hastings and spoke to my real friends you would get a completely different story" He has since changed his name and now lives in the south of England But the news prompted renewed calls for limits on lottery prizes Labour urged the Government to consider capping payouts at £5 million, arguing that the £22.5 million was unlikely to deliver an "extra slice of happiness" for the winner "It would be better if there is a very large jackpot to spread the benefits among die runners-up," Chris Smith, the shadow heritage spokesman, said The Methodist Church said huge jackpots fuelled "negative feelings about one person receiving such a large sum." A spokesman for Oflot, which regulates the lottery, said capping jackpots would make the game less popular Mr Gardiner's third wife, from whom he is estranged, could well profit from the windfall - but not to the tune she is demanding Lawyers last night said that a more realistic target would be about £1 million Lawrence Donegan and Andrew Culf New Cambridge Advanced English $ Q1 Imagine that a friend of yours has won the lottery - not the jackpot, but € , 0 Write a letter congratulating your friend, giving him or her some advice on what to with the money (about 250 words) 77 Look at your partner's letter What would your reactions be if you, as the lottery winner, received this letter? Household names Listening and Creative writing www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Before you listen to the interview, discuss these questions: • What you already know about The Body Shop? Does it have shops in your country? Anita Roddick You'll hear an interview with Anita Roddick, who founded and runs The Body Shop Tick ( ) the points that she makes, and put a cross ( ) beside the things that are not mentioned or which are untrue Before founding The Body Shop, she a taught French and history b travelled around the world c worked for the United Nations d lived with people in the Third World The Body Shop and its products have been successful because e political and social issues are publicised a women feel at home in the shops f they help women to look younger b customers aren't pressurised to buy c they don't celebrate youth and passivity g of the thoughtfulness behind the scenes d they celebrate women and social justice h the products are good value She enjoys a the wide variety of things she does b staying in the best hotels c learning as she travels around the world d being in uncomfortable situations She doesn't enjoy a being responsible for so many people b not having enough time for herself c dealing with hierarchy d talking about emotions and feelings at work She relaxes by a spending time with her granddaughter b going to the cinema and the theatre c going for long walks d eating out with people she loves She is proud of a challenging the beauty industry b redefining the idea of beauty c helping people in the Third World d making business kinder and gentler Make a list of people who are 'household names' in YOUR COUNTRY - famous (living) people that most people in your country have heard of Try to include a woman and a man in each category How would you explain to a foreign visitor WHY each person is famous? sportsman sportswoman singers or entertainers business people politicians actors or film stars writers Take it in turns to role-play a conversation between a local person and a foreign visitor who wants to know about the people in your list Make notes on THREE of the people you discussed in B in preparation for writing about their lives and achievements (You may need to gather more information before you begin writing.) Look at this example first: www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Write three paragraphs (about 80 words each) for a guidebook for foreign visitors to your country Your target readers know nothing about the people, but they want to know who each person is when they hear them mentioned on TV, or read about them in the press Show your completed work to a partner and ask for feedback If you're writing about your country, it may be best to assume that foreigners know very little-but hopefully that they are keen to learn more about your people and their way of life This may involve stating the obvious and giving information that your fellow citizens know New Cambridge Advanced English (11.7) For and on Idioms and collocations Fill the gaps with the phrases below There are some lovely desserts but I won't have anything because I'm He claimed it wasn't his fault and that he hadn't done it I should like to thank you the whole department She promised to help me I returned the favour another time Would you like to We haven't been out together come with us on Sunday? to have It was long drive so we stopped a meal in your country? How much does a worker earn last night? Did you see the news Trains leave every hour 10 It takes much longer to get there 11 No, I don't dislike Chaplin at all: than by bus , I admire him greatly 12 We've done a lot of this recently, so let's something different on a diet on average on behalf of on condition that on foot on purpose on television on the contrary on the hour on the menu on the way for a change for a long time for a walk www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Rewrite each sentence, replacing the words in red with a suitable form of the word in green on the right and adding FOR or ON She's well-known because she broke the world record She's famous for breaking the world record We admire her because of her intelligence Are you trying to find your hat? When did you wear it last? I am sorry that I was rude to you I don't want you to sympathise with me The price they charge varies according to the quantity you order He stopped to look in a shop window and then continued walking, She knows all about cars I told the visitor you'd be late but she was determined to wait 10 To hear the next track you should make the tape go forward 11 It was a tall story but he was so gullible that he believed it 12 I used to hate that song but then it became more pleasant to me 13 You can't trust him, but you can trust me 14 Would you like to give me your opinion of my work? famous account search have apologise feel sorry depend walk an expert insist wind fall grow rely count comment Science and technology Listening and Vocabulary You'll hear an interview with Wendy Fielder, a research scientist who works in the field of microbiology Listen to what she says and complete each sentence below with an appropriate word or short phrase Wendy Fielder Scientists in different places have to Computers have science She gets excited when she looks down a microscope and sees A bacteria is only visible through a microscope if it is www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com She doesn't get lonely because she works in a(n) and her job includes Research is funded less by governments because of In the future, thanks to microbiology, everyone will be Pupils at school would learn more if they did more She would love to work on a project which aims to use tissue culture to replace 10 ! Find out from your partners: • which were/are their favourite science subjects at school • if both girls and boys are encouraged to become scientists or engineers in their country • what technical subjects are taught at schools in their country Work out the answers to these questions: Look at these things which are used for fixing things together - what are they called? What are these controls called? What are these tools called? Can you think of four more tools? Write down their names New Cambridge Advanced English Take it in turns to say what these pieces of equipment or products are used for: a pencil sharpener a zip a ruler a spirit level a bicycle pump a torch/flashlight a safety pin a rubber band a stapler a corkscrew a penknife a test tube a tin opener a fuse a plug a padlock a telescope a microscope a pair of binoculars an air conditioner hair conditioner a rubber stamp a postage stamp a toolbox a chest of drawers a drawing pin/thumbtack a drawing board You'll hear ten short spoken extracts As you listen, note down: • the SUBJECT the speaker is talking about • the TONE OF VOICE he or she is using (patronising, bored, enthusiastic, etc.) • WHO he or she seems to be talking to (a group of students, a child, etc.) First day at school Listening and Speaking Q You'll hear two accounts of a first day at school - one from a new pupil's point of view, the other from a new teacher's point of view www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Tf Read this extract from Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee (1959) before you listen to the recording What you think happened on Laurie's first day? The village school at that time provided all the instruction we were likely to ask for It was a small stone barn divided by a wooden partition into two rooms - The Infants and The Big Ones There was one teacher, and perhaps a young girl assistant Every child in the valley crowding there remained till he was fourteen years old, then was presented to the working field or factory with nothing in his head more burdensome than a few mnemonics, a jumbled list of wars, and a dreamy image of the world's geography It seemed enough to get by with, in any case; and it was one up on our poor old grandparents Listen to the recording You'll hear more about Laurie's first day at the local village school Find out if you guessed correctly Before you listen to the extract from Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh (1928), discuss what you think happened in Paul's first lesson: Paul Pennyfeather is an inexperienced new teacher at a private school in Wales The bell for the first lesson has just rung Paul and two other masters are on their way to their classes Listen to find out if you guessed correctly Discuss how your OWN experiences of your first day at a new school compare with Laurie's and Paul's Imagine that a good friend has moved to a new city and is worried about starting at a new school or college To reassure him or her, write a letter (about 250 words) giving an account of your own first day at a new school or in a new class (Perhaps write about your first day in THIS class.) www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com The Cat Sat on the test School testing, like baseball, is crucial to the American way of life Michael White in Washington offers a parent's view of the results NOT MANY days pass without one or other of my kids getting out a number pencil in their American suburban classroom and shading in the dots of a ScanTron paper in the correct number lead so that the computer can read it And what is this Brave New World all about, you may be wondering? The answer is standardised testing, a national passion in this vast country of endless diversity So a Scan-Tron paper is what you use to answer the multiple-choice questions you get in maths, science, world studies (history and geography) or whatever it happens to be Why did denim trousers become popular in the 1850s? Because they were (a) blue; (b) durable; (c) attractive; (d) inexpensive? Shade in the correct letter (incidentally it is (b)) in this 13-year-old's comprehension test and the computer will machine-read it British parents, teachers and pupils may already be fuming - or jeering - at the mention of pernicious multiple-choice techniques, let alone no pencils But American education has its own ends: a system democratically designed to educate the many rather than nurture the brightest few Even though its public (i.e state) as well as private schools actually nurture an elitist core, an astonishing near-50 per cent of New Cambridge Advanced English Americans go on to some form of higher education And there are 240 million of them Tests are part of the means to that end Education is primarily a state and local function So there has to be some way of objectively evaluating Boston and Biloxi's idea of an A-student in the name of both progress and value for money Americans are practically-minded Education is utilitarian The consumer's parent is king - and can vote out the school board Quantification is a national instinct which finds expression in both 1Q and baseball scores There is another reason why routine testing and published results matter so much The US boasts no national exam system, no Himalayan range of GCSEs, A levels or Baccalaureates to scale Pupils are evaluated in two ways; in a process of continuous assessment by their teachers, via class work, homework, occasional essays and Scan-Tron exercises which produce term grades-, and by national tests conducted at the ages of 8, 10, 13 and 17 - at least in our state, though practice varies For college aspirants there is the Scholastic Aptitude Test (Sat) taken by about one million 17-year-olds a year, plus anyone younger who wants a practice run Even at graduate level a host of tests exist Susan Sullivan, who teaches at one of Washington's best schools, regrets this emphasis "In the British system the teacher is a coach You work towards the same goal and the enemy to be overcome is the A level In our system the end of year assessment is so important, the teacher can be the enemy." And the multiple-choice test can be the enemy of real learning, the crucial technique being how to spot the "right" answer My 13-year-old at the local Junior High School offers a few basic tips on multiple-choice technique, "Statements are more usually 'true' than 'false' in these tests If in doubt pick (c) or the longest answer." He does not have to write many essays and idiosyncrasy/ creativity sits uneasily in the system On the other hand, he is in the fast stream, laden with homework and kept busy That too is a function of early diagnostic and formative testing, bolstered by teacher evaluation In the restless, anxious debate about the quality and direction of US education ("Why are the Japanese winning?") one familiar complaint is that the strongest and the weakest are identified and helped: but it is the 80 per cent in the middle whose fate is vital to the nation's social and economic health We happen to live in Maryland suburbs but the standardised national test our kids take at 8, 10, 13 and 17 is the California Achievement Test (Cat) widely used, as are the comparable Iowa and Stanford tests in some states Covering such basics as reading, vocabulary, spelling, language expression and math computation, they produce results expressed in stanine bands (1-9) and national percentiles If you are bright, white and middle class your scores will probably be in the 90 per cent band: 60 per cent is the high school failure rate If you are a poor black or Puerto Rican your scores may lag horribly Contemplating the jungle of American testing systems Britons might usefully note that anxiety about the efficacy of testing has produced more and more tests and refinements of tests In college selection it has also produced greater reliance on teacher assessment The much-vaunted Sat scores may be helpful to the top 50 colleges in weeding out lesser applicants for entry Most US colleges don't suffer heavy oversubscription and some publish misleading Sat scores, gleaned from their freshman intake, to boost their image in the marketplace Good for business, say the critics, bad for education "The tyranny of the Sats" frightens away promising students www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Make a list of the school subjects which are/were YOUR favourites - and the ones you dislike(d) Explain to your partners why you enjoy(ed) or don't/didn't enjoy them Find out your partners' opinions on the following topics Encourage them to talk about their personal experiences national school and college exams regular performance tests the use of computers to assess learning international exams continuous assessment by teachers/lecturers the use of computers to assist learning If the members of your group come from the same country, discuss what improvements should be made to your country's education system If you're from DIFFERENT countries, find out about the education systems in each country represented The sixth form Reading and Creative writing HO Eight phrases have been removed from this newspaper article Read it through and then decide where the phrases below (A-H) fit into the gaps (1-8) That sixth sense of plus and minus www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com A spring up B knew and liked C will be up to me D were all victims of circumstance E consider myself lucky F was rather sad C will go off to work H won't be the same Discuss how your own experiences are similar to or different from the writer's What advice would you give him? Imagine that the writer of the article is a friend of yours Write him a letter (about 250 words), giving him your reactions to what he wrote and comparing your own experiences OR Write an account of your own feelings at finishing a course/year and moving to another course/year/school, in the same style as Tom Smithies' article (about 250 words) "So what if my grades are lousy? You always said it's not what you know, it's who you know." New Cambridge Advanced English 12.5 ©1 Comparing and contrasting Grammar Fill the gaps in these sentences with suitable words, using information from the table Earth is closer to the Sun Venus is than Mars from the Sun Mercury www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Pluto is the most planet from the Sun Mercury is the Sun Venus is closer to the Sun than Saturn Jupiter is not as close to the Sun Jupiter is Mars from the Sun than Mars Neptune Earth Pluto's year is nothing like 10 Pluto is the short Mercury's planet that's also a Walt Disney cartoon character 11 A Martian year is about as long as an Earth year, 12 A year on Jupiter is about the length of a year on Saturn 13 A day on Uranus is Earth, 14 A year on Venus a year on Mercury 15 A day on Venus is about the 16 A day on Mars is slightly than a day on Earth 17 A day on Jupiter is Saturn 18 A day on Neptune is hours 19 A day on Venus is 20 There's no length as a day on Pluto, than a day on Earth, a year! planet that's also a chocolate bar Mars Write nine more sentences, comparing the planets - each sentence about a different planet Imagine that a group of aliens from another planet has come to visit your country What might they find strange about life there? Make notes of your best ideas Compare your ideas Q Complete each gap in this text with one suitable word Q1 Look at these phrases which can be used when comparing things Decide which you'd find more useful in formal writing than in conversation Describing similarities The Australian education system is rather like • is similar to • is much the same as • is comparable to • is equivalent to • reminds me of • resembles • seems like • the American system has a lot in common with www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Similarly, In the same way, Moreover, Describing differences The American education system is very unlike • is quite different from • isn't the same as • differs from • bears no resemblance to • is nothing like • has very little in common with On the other hand, In contrast, Conversely, the English system However, f f Discuss the SIMILARITIES and DIFFERENCES between SOME of the following - as well as the pros and cons Use the phrases above learning languages learning English the English school system private schools boarding schools co-educational schools school uniforms specialising in subjects in the sixth form pupil power and student councils starting primary school at age staying at school till age 13 or 19 operating a VCR driving a car - learning ecience subjects learning your language the school system in your country state schools day schools single sex schools wearing whatever you like at school studying a broad range of subjects teacher power starting at age leaving earlier operating a TV riding a bike New Cambridge Advanced English How does it work? Reading, Listening and Creative writing Read this article and decide where paragraphs A to E below fit in the gaps shown with red arrows There's one extra paragraph which doesn't fit anywhere Clock of ages WHY is it that no one over 30 can operate a video recorder? My mother can manage the household budget, file a tax return and negotiate the pitfalls of French property law, but she is totally baffled by the VCR She even has a first class degree in English from Cambridge but, as far as she's concerned, the manual may as well be in Japanese Whenever I go round to my parents' house, the time display on the video is always flashing 12.00 This must be one of the most depressing sights in the modern world - a constant reminder of our defeat by ever more sophisticated'forms of technology Even my father has grown impatient with this incessant blinking, claiming it distracts him from watching the news Yet rather than try and set the clock, he simply drapes a cloth over it Toby Y o u n g Evidently it was The next time I went round I found the whole family trying to watch a film on a television which, effectively, had no aerial They had managed to switch off the video without switching off the television - some feat, I can tell you - but they had left the TV aerial plugged into the video instead of plugging it straight into the TV Consequently, there was virtually no picture on the screen So I bought my mother one for Christmas At first, she didn't seem too impressed She made all the right noises but I could tell from the look on her face she was thinking: "Not another bit of technology." But after I'd set it up and showed her how to work it she perked up a bit She even managed to record a programme unaided - a procedure about as complicated as making a telephone call www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com The answer is that my mother switches off the video along with the television whenever she goes to bed This is another thing about your parents: no matter how much you remonstrate with them to the contrary, they are convinced that if you leave any electrical appliance plugged in overnight it is guaranteed to catch fire I ran through the checklist - "Are you sure the television's switched on?" - and everything seemed to be OK But somehow I doubt Dixons will give her a refund VideoPlus may be "idiotproof" but that's no guarantee your parents will be able to use it Next time my father complains about the "three-minute culture" l shall point out that, while he may be able to read a philosophy book at one sitting, at least I can work the video Recognising that it was too much to hope for them to leave the video plugged in, I suggested to my parents that they leave it unplugged and only plug it in when they want to watch a video That way, at least my father wouldn't have to play Shortly after this she phoned me She'd lost the remote control and she couldn't make the television work Where could she buy a replacement remote control, she wanted to know around with dishcloths before he could watch television Was that too much to ask? A few days later she called wanting to know where I'd bought it For a moment I thought she might be about to recommend it to all her friends But no It was broken and she wanted to take it back to the shop I had more or less given up hope when along came VideoPlus This is a remote-control device which enables you to record programmes in advance by punching in the numbers corresponding to them, which are printed in the Radio Times It even works if the time display is flashing "12:00" Provided I could persuade my parents not to switch the video off at night they would be home and dry One of the most mysterious things about this is that whenever I leave the house I always set the clock to the correct time, indeed, this is something of an occasion, the entire family standing round as if I've just disarmed a nuclear warhead So how come the next time I'm round it is flashing "12:00"? Find out from your partners: * if they empathise more with the writer of the article or his parents * how good they are at operating electrical appliances * what is the most complicated gadget or piece of equipment they use Before you listen to the recording, check how much your partner already knows about how a VCR works Which of the missing information in the diagrams below can you fill in? Listen to the recording and fill each gap in the captions with one word or number www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com Half the pairs should look at Activity (how a MOVIE SOUNDTRACK works), the other half at 25 (how a MOVIE PROJECTOR works) Work with a pair who were studying different information and share your knowledge Imagine that a friend is coming to stay in your home while you and your family are away for a week Your friend will need to know how to operate everything Write instructions for your friend explaining how to operate TWO pieces of equipment in the kitchen and/or the living room (about 250 words) If instructions are numbered or laid out clearly they're easier to understand Using headings can help your reader to see at a glance what you're referring to New Cambridge Advanced English Look and see Verbs and idioms Fill the gaps in these sentences with a suitable particle or preposition: I'm looking He came to see me my keys at the station Look ! There's a car coming We all saw his lies She looked the word in a dictionary The pupils look their teacher The police are looking the crime If you're leaving I'll see you Rewrite the sentences, replacing the phrases in red with the expressions below If you're travelling in the rush hour, beware of pickpockets If you're ever in London, don't forget to call in to see me If we're both at the show, let's watch for each other in the interval They have a lovely room, it has a view of the sea He regards people who are less intelligent than himself as inferior When I said that I looked up to him, he glanced at me strangely Even the best of friends don't always agree on everything 'Listen to me, if you don't give me back my money I'll call the police,' I shouted Soon a crowd of curious people had gathered around us Can I see the photos? Oh, you and your brother have a similar appearance, don't you? She wants to complete her current project before she retires You have such a good excuse that I won't take account of what you've done wrong A group of tourists were waiting outside the palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen Leave all the arrangements to me: I'll attend to everything His story turned out to be a pack of lies but none of us disbelieved it at first When she called him stupid he became angry Old people like to remember their younger days with nostalgia www.IELTS4U.blogfa.com 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 onlookers overlook overlook give someone a funny look have a look at look alike look back on look here look down on look out for look out for look someone up see eye to eye see red see something through see through something see to something sightseers Match these beginnings to the endings There are several possible endings to each beginning He glanced a t She stared a t television all evening the painting for a long time He gazed a t her with admiration She peered a t He noticed She watched He glared at the person sitting opposite on the bus the small print in the brochure the view of the mountains the people who were making a noise the football match until the end  ... an astonishing near-50 per cent of New Cambridge Advanced English Americans go on to some form of higher education And there are 24 0 million of them Tests are part of the means to that end Education... Tom Smithies'' article (about 25 0 words) "So what if my grades are lousy? You always said it''s not what you know, it''s who you know." New Cambridge Advanced English 12. 5 ©1 Comparing and contrasting... most effective in each paragraph New Cambridge Advanced English J ames Dean was born on February 1931 and died in a car crash on 30 September 1955 at the age of 24 For his generation he symbolised